HE’S BECOME something of a fan favorite at the University of Florida. He may not have all the tools some other stars have. He may not have the body-type that will make him stand out at the next level. He may not trash talk.

But he has as much drive, as many guts, and as much gusto as you’ll see in college sports.

And no – believe it or not – we’re not talking about Tim Tebow.

Erving Walker is another in a long line of impressive recruits who have landed in coach Billy Donovan’s program down in Gainesville. But what makes the Brooklyn native stand out – or not stand out, in this case – is his 5-foot, 7-inch frame that checks in at a generous 161 pounds.

But everyone loves an underdog, right? Especially when the dog is so under, he may not even qualify for some roller-coaster rides.

“I’m starting to get a little more popular these days,” said Walker, a freshman point guard who graduated from Christ the King. “The students are great here, what more can you say. They love their sports, of course we all know what football means here, but they love their basketball, too. I’ve created an identity in this program, and I’m just trying to build off it.”

So far, so good. Walker has started just three times, but he’s the Gators’ fourth-leading scorer at 9.8 points per game, and he’s an impressive 83 percent from the foul line. He averages 2.4 assists in 23.5 minutes.

“Erving has a lot of those intangible things for a little guy,” Donovan said. “Many guys may be talented, but there are a lot of talented guys who have no impact on the game. Erving Walker is probably the smallest guy I have ever had, and he impacts the game with his defense, making a couple of big shots, and just playing tough. He has the ability to impact winning.”

It shows. The Gators, who had to settle for the NIT last year after winning back-to-back national championships, have set themselves up for a possible return trip to the Big Dance. They are 21-9, 8-7 in the Southeastern Conference and can go a long way in impressing the committee with a home win over Kentucky (19-11, 8-7) at 2 p.m. today.

“It’s a great atmosphere, here. The fans really get us going. It’s amazing,” Walker said. “In high school, I played before some good crowds, but these crowds are a different level. They just go, from beginning to end, it’s just an amazing lift to our team.”

All you need for confirmation of that, is the Gators’ 17-1 home record. In an easy 82-68 win over visiting Vanderbilt on Feb. 21, Walker scored 17 points in just 26 minutes.

“If he was a guy who didn’t have that toughness and only wanted to shoot, I would have doubts,” Donovan said. “But here is a guy who physically mixes it up. I am not saying he is going to grab four or five rebounds a game but he is going to throw his body in plays, he is going to pressure the ball.”

All characteristics he developed during his time as a Royal.

“Billy really didn’t have to sell anything. He’s a great coach, he’s a former guard, so I knew being on his team would only lead to great things,” Walker said. “He knew the kind of competition I played in high school. He knew all about my high school. So he didn’t mess around. He just said, ‘You come here, you’re going to have to work for everything you get.’ And he was right.”

Walker averaged 16 points and 11 assists as a senior at Christ the King, and had 20 points and 11 assists in the Jordan Classic.

“I think that his shift from high school to college,” Donovan said, “has been a lot shorter than other freshmen.”